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There is also such a thing, as I have pointed out before, as being a car enthusiast without being a speed, racing, butt-bumping-suspension, or canyon-carving enthusiast. The two are NOT mutual by any means.
i couldn't disagree with you more
Originally Posted by mmarshall
several people right here on Car Chat fit that description.
With all due respect, it is not a matter of either agreeing of disagreeing. It is a simple fact (not an opinion) that one can have a passion for cars and not for aggressive driving. How do you think I (and others like me) have kept my driving record (though not perfect) as clean as it has been for so long (almost half a century)? You don't do that by constantly lead-footing it and drifting.
I've also seen a lot of young, promising lives snuffed out over the years by stupidity behind the wheel...particularly in V8 powered Mustangs, though one can get into trouble with virtually anything on four wheels if he or she tries hard enough.
Just because something sells well to the masses doesn't mean it's a great product or that it's special. In fact, if you look at the best sellers in many categories you find mediocrity sells. The Camry for instance is the least interesting car in its segment, same for the Corolla.
Most buyers are not enthusiasts, and a car that "checks all the boxes" and provides the Boeing transport they want while being "reliable" wins.
This is true but what does "mass market appeal" mean to you? Its certainly is not the same as niche or special market appeal.
I'm a car enthusiast but I don't do doughnuts in the parking lot or burnouts at stoplights. I appreciate them because I grew up in a car-cultured household and we all loved cars. As I got older, I learned to appreciate the engineering, technology and style of cars even more. I definitely appreciate a lot of dang, honkin HP, too, but that doesn't mean I drive like a nutcase. Also, something special about simple V8s and heck V12s. We use to dream and lust for them growing up. Ferraris!
It's like what Teddy Roosevelt said, "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." I just like the notion of having that power under the hood, even if I don't fully use it all the time. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Any car nut appreciates a lot of hp, I certainly do. I also appreciate smooth and quiet now. Sure, they're mutually exclusive for the most part, except for those few rare cars like the LS, S550, etc. These cars offer a unique blend of dead quiet and surprisingly fast when needed. I love those disparate attributes.
I'm a car enthusiast but I don't do doughnuts in the parking lot or burnouts at stoplights. I appreciate them because I grew up in a car-cultured household and we all loved cars. As I got older, I learned to appreciate the engineering, technology and style of cars even more. I definitely appreciate a lot of dang, honkin HP, too, but that doesn't mean I drive like a nutcase. Also, something special about simple V8s and heck V12s. We use to dream and lust for them growing up. Ferraris!
It's like what Teddy Roosevelt said, "speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." I just like the notion of having that power under the hood, even if I don't fully use it all the time. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
Any car nut appreciates a lot of hp, I certainly do. I also appreciate smooth and quiet now. Sure, they're mutually exclusive for the most part, except for those few rare cars like the LS, S550, etc. These cars offer a unique blend of dead quiet and surprisingly fast when needed. I love those disparate attributes.
Sounds a lot like when I was in high school and college....I liked muscle-cars and big luxury cars both. Still do today....almost half a century later.
On the thread topic, what do you think of the direction Lexus is going? IMO, it is becoming more like BMW than Acura.
You hit the nail Steve.
We all call it FWD vs RWD, and transverse vs longitudinal, but in reality, it is about an entry level versus a premium platform.
The premium platform actually has a longer wheelbase, and a shorter front overhang, with the engine mounted behind the front axle for a near 50/50 weight distribution to maximise front end grip.
However, this longer wheelbase naturally causes more flexing of the platform, hence the premium platform must use either stiffer materials like more high tensile steel, thicker gauge metal, or taller/deeper nee stronger box sections to compensate.
4WD/AWD with engine in front of front axle versus longer wheelbase with engine behind the rear axle for near 50/50 weight distribution:
AWD is a great idea today, because cars have so much power and torque, they need to transmit to all four wheels to maximise traction.
However, it will be interesting to see what the next generation ES/GS AWD brings, and whether it uses a Camry-based entry level or a Lexus-based premium platform, because the Acura RLX AWD uses a short wheelbase with the engine mounted in front of the front axle on a shorter wheelbase, and this model has largely bombed out over the past 10+ years.
Furthermore, the premium platform uses higher lightweight aluminium content like aluminium bonnets, trunk lids and even doors, and aluminium suspension arms etc etc.
Rather than using cheap simple single lower suspension control arms like MacPherson struts at the front, and a trailing arm and transverse arms at the rear, premium platforms use double wishbone front, and multi-link rear suspension, which have more expensive unequal length lower and upper control arms to keep the tires more perpendicular to the road surface to maximise grip.
Entry level cheap single lower front and rear control arms:
Premium expensive unequal length lower and upper control arms in front and rear suspension respectively:
That's just a difference between Toyotas mentality and the mentality of a company like Mercedes or BMW. Lexus is never going to offer as many niche models as they do, it's just against their business philosophy.
02-22-17, 05:12 PM
IMO, it is becoming more like BMW than Acura.
